Competitors came along with large servings, like half pound burritos, and bigger sandwiches.
I remember these…I was in 3rd or 4th grade when they were introduced to our school as a ‘hot lunch program’. To a kid, they were the greatest thing ever…especially compared to lukewarm milk, a bruised apple and a slice of bologna on white bread…blargh! Wednesday was PIZZA DAY!
My father was working for Stewart Sandwiches when he died in 1977. In the mid to late 60’s the SS franchise he worked for sent him to work at their plant in Hagerstown Maryland. I was born shortly after the family moved to Hagerstown, a great deal of my earliest childhood memories are from times spent with my dad at the facility there. I’ll never forget the delivery truck they had with a huge plastic cheesburger on the cab roof, I used to climb up and sit on it.
We had an In-Fra-Red oven at our house and an ever present supply of Stewart Sandwiches and single serving pizzas in the freezer. The “Torpedo” sandwich and the pizzas were my favorites.
After my father passed away mom moved us back to the Baltimore suburbs where I attended a small Catholic elementary school. The main staple of the cafeteria at the school were Stewart Sandwiches and the In-Fra-Red oven. I thought of my father every time I walked through that lunch line.
I still have a nice little gold tie pin my dad received from SS somewhere along the way. It’s in the shape of the company logo “S”(the “S” kid of looks like a burger on a bun) with a couple little diamond chips in it.
I’m happy to see some other folks have some good memories about Stewart Sandwiches as well, thanks for passing them along!!
I can’t believe no one has mentioned my persoanl fave…the Pizzaburger . Also liked an Oboy now and then.
I usually wash one down with a Colbert Cola.
Ah the memories…I remember these sandwich’s. I used to eat them for lunch at high school nearly everyday in the late 70’s early 80’s. We were given the option to eat from the school cafetereria menu or choose from a selection of Stewart sandwiches. I loved the Stewart cheese burger and the hoagie and ham and cheese subs. The way the infra red oven cooked them is what really made them. The way the cheese melted and the bun was toasted gave it a comfort food appeal that I crave to this day.
I wish I could have one of those cheese burgers now and relive my teen years. Their cheese anad pepperoni pizzas were good also. Usually washed down with a carton of chocolate milk or Coca Cola and an ice cream bar for desert. Lol. I lived on these things through out my high school years.
Dear RW, I too was a big fan of the Pizzaburger. The grilled cheese was delicious during lent at my school ( St. Charles)
In the mornings at my schoole, the teacher ( usually an overly aggressive nun) would call out the names of each sandwich and you had to pre-order by raising your hand. Sometimes I would raise my hand a few times and extra sandwiches would be made. My older brother Jeff would then go to lunch at a later time and offer to buy those sandwiches at a reduced rate. I also loved the hot dog but on many occassions Mrs. Bellner would not heat it enough and the middle would be cold, this would cost me major stress and worry as I was arather picky eater. Why did I not just ask for it to heated up?
My Mom was a lunch room helper at a catholic grade school. She tells me stories about Stewart sandwiches and how delicious the “Oh Boy” sandwich was. Pure Americana at its finest. Wake up America!!
Man…this thread has had more rebirths than a Rock movie!
Amazing how interesting sandwiches can be!
I’m looking for the small boxes of heavily salted pumpkin seeds I bought at the candy store as a kid. I believe they came in a small red box and the brand might have been Indian head. They were so salty I lapped water of my dogs dish for days!
I worked for Stewart for many years. I started as a maintenance man repairing the infra red ovens. I then started helping on sandwich routes then finally got my own route. After a few years, I was promoted to a supervisors position and joined the management training program. I was named the temporary manager of the Miami sales center, then promoted to manage the Baton Rouge sales center. All of this from 1971-1979.
What happened to Stewarts? Well like many stories this one has many vilians. The growth of a fast food restaurant on every corner, smaller local companies with lower overhead, but most importantly the FDA found listeria in the production plant in Norfolk VA. Bankruptcy followed and the lawyers tore up everything.
Why then, is it, that I saw Stewart sandwiches just a week or so ago at an Ohio Gas Station?
Well, you don’t want to let that old stock go to waste do you?
during my grade school time grades 1 thru 8, these became the greatest thing on earth. poor Mark Lentz eatting a cold Whopper, while most other kids had the hot dog, first 2 bites on either end were hot, the rest, stone cold. Mrs, Bruss and Ms. Russell didn’t know how to work that new fangled oven well. Hamburger were also taste treats, but the best of all, the O’Boy. The crunchy bun with the cheese melted so well, it dripped out the bottom of the sandwhich.
I think there is a strong business case to bring back Stewart Sandwiches, looking at this thread there seems to be a high demand for these tasty sandwiches. I hope that when I start the New Stewart sandwich company all of you are there to support me.
Coming to a catholic school near you… The New Stewart Sandwich Company
Great-now we can explore : “who makes those amazing hot dogs that rotate endlessly on those shiny bars”?
Quote: (Apu, from “The Simpsons”):“you are the only one who eats those hotdogs, Homer”.
Cotto salami, bologna american cheese on a toasted sub bun
I recently acquired one of this beautiful stainless steel encased heater…and it still works! Amazing! Has some minor rust on outside but otherwise door and elevator works unbelievably great…
If anyones still interested, I will be more than happy to post a few pictures of it.
I recall as a kid we used to by these sandwiches and my Dad would wrap them (still in the cellophane) in Tinfoil and toss them on the intake manifold of our pickup truck as we were pulling the Camper up the North Shore of Minnesota. When we got to our favorite resting place, Dad would pop the hood and we would all have a wonderful hot sandwich!
30 or more years ago, I worked at E.A. Sween (now known as DeliExpress) who bought the Minnesota Stewart Sandwiches franchise.
They used to have a freezer in the employee cafeteria filled with frozen food that was too close to expiration to ship out and it was FREE to the employees.
Man me and my room mate lived on Burritos, Pizzas, Heroes for a year.
Chuckwagons, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
From 1960 to '67, my dad used to take my brother and me to Flying Cloud Airport outside the Twin Cities on weekends; we would hang around all day and occasionally bum rides in light airplanes from the flight instructors. I’ll never forget the Stewart Sandwiches they used to sell there, or the toaster oven they had to be heated up in. Those hot dogs with the charred edges on the buns—superb! Just the kind of thing a kid growing up would devour all day when far from home.